How to Entertain Yourself in an Airport
by Me
Summary: In a (possible Book Universe) AU where Steph and Michelle don't fly off to New Zealand, instead of one big problem Michelle's wandering creates many little ones.


Since one of the Club Stephanie books mentions that Stephanie had never been overseas, it's  
possible that the impromptu flight to Auckland in one episode never happened. (Of course, she  
might not consider that having been overseas.) If it didn't, the reason may well be that Allie was  
still there. A very close friend moving over that summer would be one thing that would make  
Stephanie extra anxious to have D.J. back; and it could be argued that Allie did move that summer  
in the TV series and not in the books. Thanks again to RKORadio for help with ideas on some of  
this. The concepts behind some of this, of course, are from the episode "Come Fly With Me."  
  
By the way, Teddy is never mentioned in the book universe. Since he didn't go to preschool  
with Michelle it's possible he was never there till Kindergarten even in the TV series. Hence, I  
changed the facts of a couple other episodes, too, to reflect how things might have gone without  
him there. Hope you enjoy this AU - or, perhaps "Book Universe" is a better term - story.   
Maybe I'll have another idea or two if everyone likes this AU.  
  
How To Entertain Yourself in an Airport  
  
Stephanie and Michelle Tanner - ten and nearly six, respectively - were having fun singing with  
a group of children at the San Francisco International Airport. They were joined by Stephanie's  
best friend since Kindergarten, Allie Taylor, nearly eleven.  
  
Instantly, the group was told to board the plane. Stephanie and Michelle weren't with the  
group - they had come with their family to pick up their older sister, D.J., who was returning from  
Spain. But, D.J. hadn't paid attention to them at all - she was too busy kissing some boy  
goodbye. So, Stephanie and Michelle followed the childrens' choir. "Come on, Allie, let's go,"  
Stephanie said.  
  
"Wait, Steph," Allie said, holding up a hand. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"  
  
"Come on, Allie. Let's have some fun. D.J. certainly doesn't want to spend any time with  
us."  
  
"Shouldn't you know where they're going?"  
  
"It'll only be for a few minutes," Stephanie said. Michelle was already heading down the  
hallway to the plane.  
  
"Freeze, Michelle," Allie ordered, using a command she knew the Tanners used in their family.  
  
Michelle looked back as she stopped. She gawked at Allie. She was accustomed to stopping  
all movement upon hearing that from her family if she was near a busy street or something else  
dangerous. She had only stopped suddenly because she heard it. However, the voice was Allie's  
which she considered quite odd.  
  
"Why did you tell me to freeze?" she asked, quite stunned. She spoke as if she felt Allie was  
crazy.  
  
Allie walked toward Michelle, with Stephanie following. She wasn't used to taking charge  
very often. But, she knew it was important with children as young as Michelle. "Because, we  
need to find out when they're leaving first." She took Michelle's hand, then walked up to one of  
the chaperones. "Excuse me, Ma'am, when is your flight leaving?"  
  
"In about ten minutes."  
  
"And where are you going?"  
  
"Our next stop is Auckland, New Zealand."  
  
"Thank you." Allie motioned to Stephanie. "Come on, that's way too little time. And way  
too far."  
  
Stephanie sighed. She thought they could have sat and chatted for a few minutes. She really  
had wanted to go with the group, in fact, regardless of where they were going - at least for a  
moment. But, Allie could be stubborn sometimes.  
  
Now, though, maybe that was a good thing. She slowly followed Allie and Michelle back into  
the terminal. "Okay, Allie, I guess you're right," she murmured. "That is a long way if we had to  
fly with them."  
  
"Where's New Zealand?" Michelle asked.  
  
"On the other side of the ocean." Stephanie turned toward Allie and held out her hands. "But,  
Allie, we still have a big problem. Uncle Jesse and Joey are tied up on the phone for some reason,  
Dad's still too busy finding out why D.J. and a boy are kissing, and D.J. doesn't even know we  
exist. And I don't think she even brought Michelle and I any presents back from her two-month  
trip! We deserve something fun."  
  
Allie gave an understanding nod. She was still somewhat quiet, the perfect complement to  
Stephanie's very outgoing and excitable temperament. She was also a very good listener for a  
ten-year-old. Of course, with Stephanie having lost her mother in an auto accident only a couple  
months before they met, Allie had learned at an early age how to sit and listen quietly to her.  
  
Stephanie, Michelle, and sixteen-year-old D.J. lived with their dad, Danny Tanner, their dad's  
best friend, comedian Joey Gladstone, and their Uncle Jesse and Aunt Becky and the couples'  
twin boys. Becky was elsewhere with the boys. And, everyone else was busy.  
  
Allie answered, "We'll find something fun to do. Let's go to the lounge. Maybe they'll let me  
play the piano." Allie had taken piano lessons for the last five years.  
  
"I want to go in a plane," Michelle announced.  
  
"Some other time, Michelle," Stephanie remarked tiredly. She was frustrated as it was. If  
Allie had moved over the summer, like they'd thought she would have to, Stephanie really would  
have missed D.J.; and, as she later considered, almost certainly gone on that plane.  
  
"There's a pilot." Michelle yanked Allie's arm, almost making her fall over as the pulled free  
and ran to the pilot. The girl with dark brown, wavy hair finally caught her balance. Meanwhile,  
Michelle asked, Can we go in your airplane? Please?"  
  
The members of the flight crew laughed. "Only if you have a ticket," the pilot said.  
  
"My Uncle Jesse got a speeding ticket last month. Does that count?"  
  
Allie tried hard to hide her mirth, while Stephanie was merely thankful Michelle hadn't  
embarrassed her. "Sorry, Miss," the pilot said. "You can't fly without a ticket."  
  
"I want to see one of those really big planes."  
  
"Come on, Michelle. We can watch out the window," Stephanie suggested. She whispered to  
Allie to be ready for the next time Michelle took off - it was obvious that Allie hadn't been  
prepared for the last one.  
  
Michelle watched out the window for a moment, then turned away, saying, "This is nuts."  
  
"I agree," Stephanie said with a sigh. "Let's go with your idea, Allie." Michelle ran into the  
hallway, and Stephanie and Allie followed. "Michelle, you don't know where it is."  
  
"Oh, yeah," said, stopping suddenly.  
  
Allie snickered. "See, Steph, I knew we'd have entertainment."  
  
"Yeah, we're babysitting our very own Dennis the Menace," came Stephanie's wisecrack.  
  
The three girls walked into the lounge, where the piano player was just getting up for a break.   
"Can my friend try playing that? She's taken lessons for half her life," Stephanie said in an  
amazed tone.  
  
"Where are your parents?" the man asked Stephanie.  
  
"They should be here soon." Which was true - Stephanie hoped they would be. "We're  
supposed to be keeping our little sister, Michelle, occupied."  
  
The man thought for a moment. He decided to ask a question to see if she might be genuine.   
"Who's your piano teacher?"  
  
"Mrs. Kear. She used to teach music at Fraser Street Elementary."  
  
"Okay, I think I know her, yeah. Light gray hair, about an inch taller than me?"  
  
"Actually, Sir, she's about half a foot shorter," Allie corrected him apologetically.  
  
The piano player grinned. "That was a trick question, to see if you were telling the truth.   
You're right. Okay, sit on here, Miss, and play something like you would at a recital. No funny  
stuff - this isn't a toy." The fellow decided if he let them have a little fun, and he limited it, it  
would be all right. It was a very slow time right now, anyway, this time of day.  
  
Allie got comfortable while she said, "I know, Sir. Thanks."  
  
"Just one song." Allie agreed that she would only play one. He gave his name and asked her  
to tell Mrs. Kear he said "hello," as he pulled out the music for the requested song - "Do Re Mi."  
  
"What's that jar for?" Michelle asked.  
  
"That's what I collect tips in. People put money in it when I'm playing," the man explained.  
  
As Allie began to play "Do Re Mi," Michelle grabbed the jar and walked toward an elderly  
man at a nearby table. "Here. Give us some money."  
  
Stephanie quickly jogged up behind Michelle as the gentleman chuckled. "I'm terribly sorry,  
Sir. My sister's a handful today."  
  
"Oh, it's quite all right. She reminds me very much of Dennis the Menace."  
  
"I was thinking the exact same thing. She almost got on a plane just to go for a ride."  
  
"You did, too," Michelle insisted.  
  
"Don't remind me," Stephanie said. She was suddenly starting to realize how much trouble  
they would have been in if they'd done that. They'd be grounded for life! Thankfully, Allie had  
told Michelle to freeze. And, though she would have given her a weird look, Stephanie probably  
would have obeyed, too.  
  
She laughed inwardly. She could even imagine Cassie, Michelle's best friend, saying it. If  
Cassie had said that to her - Stephanie probably would have looked and talked like Cassie was  
nuts. Along with giving a "how rude," Luckily for her, Cassie had been busy.  
  
Right now, that would just be more kids to watch, anyway.  
  
"Yes, you definitely sound like Dennis, Miss," the elderly man said, breaking Stephanie out of  
her daydream. He turned toward Stephanie and said, "He's really a good-natured boy, but like all  
five-year-olds his curiosity can cause big problems. I would guess that's your sister's age, too.   
Am I right?"  
  
"Oh yeah," Stephanie said, nodding slowly. "Of course, he is a boy, and she doesn't do some  
things that he would. I don't remember her ever breaking a lamp running around, for instance.   
But, some of the things she does, like how she tries to get away with stuff, they sound a lot like  
Dennis."  
  
"Perhaps Gina would be the best comparison, then. She's the sort of girl Dennis doesn't mind,  
because she plays like him; and yet she's also willing to play girl stuff with Margaret quite a bit,  
too."  
  
"That sounds like Michelle. You sure know a lot about Dennis the Menace."  
  
"I should." He extended his hand, and introduced himself. "Hank Ketcham."  
  
Stephanie's eyes grew wide, and her mouth flew open, as she shook his hand. "Whoa, baby. I  
don't believe it!"  
  
"Who's Hank Ketcham?"  
  
"He draws one of the comics in the funnies, Michelle. That one with the little boy who's  
always getting in trouble."  
  
"The one with the tiger, or the one with the dog?"  
  
"The one with the dog," Stephanie answered Michelle. She'd forgotten about Calvin and  
Hobbes for a moment. Michelle might be a bit like Dennis, but thankfully no kid she knew was  
like Calvin.  
  
Mr. Ketcham smiled. "I'm turning my work over to someone younger in a few years,  
hopefully. But, I do still do them, yes. I'm waiting for a plane, and I got here a little early."  
  
"I'm tired of talking. Let's see some more stuff," Michelle said, pulling Stephanie's hand.  
  
Stephanie rolled her eyes. "Michelle, can't we sit down and chat? This is the man who writes  
Dennis the Menace."  
  
"We can talk anytime." Michelle kept pulling, and Stephanie realized that Michelle just didn't  
comprehend the enormity of meeting a writer whose comic was in the paper every day.  
  
"Can we have some autographs? Please?" Stephanie said as Michelle kept pulling her further  
away. "Just give them to Allie at the piano," Stephanie said as Allie finished up her song and  
Michelle pulled her out of the lounge. "I'll be out here with Michelle," Stephanie called.  
  
Once away from there, Stephanie held out her hands and scolded Michelle. "Michelle, what  
are you so excited about? That could have been a very fun conversation."  
  
"Look!" Suddenly, Stephanie saw what Michelle saw. A large German Shepherd in another  
terminal. It wore a harness, and a man sat beside it, holding the leash. The dog was gazing  
quietly at its surroundings.  
  
Michelle ran up to it, with Stephanie jogging behind her. "Hey, doggie," Michelle said, petting  
the dog. When it didn't respond, Michelle said, "Hey. Woof, woof!"  
  
The dog gave Michelle one of those cocked-head looks dogs give that seems to imply they  
think a human is nuts, then went back to gazing at his surroundings.  
  
"He won't pay attention to you. He's working right now," the man said.  
  
"Yeah, right. He's just sitting there," Michelle spouted.  
  
"Heh, heh, heh," Stephanie said with an embarrassed grin, pulling Michelle aside. "Michelle,  
that's a seeing eye dog," she whispered.  
  
"Why does he have a seeing-eye dog?"Michelle asked in a louder voice. Michelle thought for  
a moment as Stephanie rolled her eyes. She suddenly remembered what those were. "Oh yeah,  
cause he's blind."  
  
The man noticed Stephanie's exasperated groan. "It's all right, Miss. I don't mind children  
asking about me or Scout here. That's how they learn."  
  
"Mister, why are you blind?" Michelle asked. Stephanie very slowly rested her head in her  
hand, as if she had a massive headache. He might not mind questions, but that was way too  
direct, she felt.  
  
Thankfully, the man answered politely that, "I was born with almost no vision, except for light  
and dark. I can see those. But, I need Scout here to guide me around. I rely on him as my eyes -  
and ears. That's why he can't pay much attention to you, he's trained to keep track of almost  
everything."  
  
"Did you have a dog when you were my age?" Michelle asked.  
  
The man wasn't sure, but he figured the little girl was about five or six. "I got him at fifteen.   
You need to have lots of strength to handle one; plus a blind person still uses some of his own  
faculties to do things like cross the street. So, walking with a dog, it's best to be a teen before  
you can have one. You have to train for months with them."  
  
"Wow," was all Allie would say as she came from behind the other girls and listened..  
  
The PA system sounded, and the man rose. So did the dog. "There's my flight. I have to get  
going. Nice talking with you."  
  
"Same here. Thanks for answering our questions." Stephanie led the others away.  
  
Allie could tell Stephanie was a little tired. "Do you want me to take over with Michelle for a  
while? It's okay, I like having a little girl around." Allie was an only child. She played "girl  
stuff" more often than Stephanie did. She'd always enjoyed playing dress-up and house with  
Michelle and Stephanie.  
  
"No." Stephanie thought as they walked down the hallway. "It's just that I wish we were out  
doing something fun. I mean, we were supposed to come here, see D.J., and go home. She was  
supposed to be so excited to see us and give us some great presents. Instead, it's like she only  
cares about this guy."  
  
Allie tried to be helpful. "Well, if Michelle ever needs another big sister and she's not there,  
I'll help."  
  
"Thanks, Allie. You're the beat." Stephanie's grin lessened as she thought out loud. "I hope  
that doesn't happen. But, I don't know what's going on."  
  
"That's scary for you sometimes, isn't it?" Allie asked. She knew it was; Mr. Tanner had told  
her that a number of times about Stephanie. But, she'd also learned that saying that showed  
Stephanie she understood.  
  
"You're right, it is, Allie. I mean, D.J. might be married, for all I know."  
  
"Better not suggest that to your dad. He'd have a heart attack," Allie said with a grin, to  
lighten the mood.  
  
Stephanie smiled. "Yeah, I guess that is going a little overboard. I don't think they're  
married. Still, it's like..." She suddenly noticed Michelle had run ahead and was rounding a  
corner. "Freeze!" she shouted for many to hear.  
  
Allie felt embarrassed as she followed Stephanie around the corner. She tried not to show it,  
as she didn't want to hurt her best friend's feelings. But, there were times when Stephanie's  
over-excitedness could lead to some awkward times. Being with her as she hollered that was one  
of  
them.  
  
Especially with 90% of the people in the hall, including Michelle, freezing at the command, it  
had sounded so forceful. All those people seemed to be glancing around, wondering what the  
problem could be.  
  
"Okay, everyone, move along," Stephanie said as she took Michelle's hand. "My sister here's  
the only one who had to freeze." To Allie, she said, "And it's a good thing she did."  
  
"Let's have a race," Michelle offered. She had frozen on command - especially because that  
was an "I mean it" voice, the voice that said if she didn't obey Stephanie would be giving her an  
incredibly stern lecture, perhaps followed by a long timeout. But, now that she'd obeyed, she  
figured that if she suggested nicely, they could do something fun.  
  
"No, Michelle, we are not racing down the hallway. Now, let's stop here and get something to  
eat. They might have ice cream."  
  
"Oh, boy." Michelle ran into the airport's restaurant and up to the counter.  
  
"Michelle," Stephanie said wearily as she followed.  
  
"Do you have any ice cream?" They didn't. "What kind of restaurant is this?"  
  
Stephanie rolled her eyes. "Michelle, if they don't have ice cream, they don't have it. Now,  
come on. Let's go to the souvenir place next door."  
  
"Why do we need souvenirs? We live here."  
  
Allie tried to help. "Maybe so you can get something nice if D.J. didn't bring you anything."   
She still thought D.J. might have, but she knew Stephanie and Michelle didn't.  
  
"I'll show you why." Stephanie walked Michelle up to the counter. She was getting fed up  
with her sister's wandering. And, if she had to, she had a perfect way to stop it. "Do you have  
any of those leashes parents use to keep their toddlers from wandering? I need one for my sister  
here." She figured that an airport might have one, as parents traveling to the area might want one  
after disembarking. As expected, they did.  
  
"Yeah, right. That won't fit me," Michelle said, expecting that Stephanie was joking.  
  
"Are they adjustable?" When the saleslady said "yes," Stephanie passed Michelle a broad grin  
as she paid for it..  
  
"Uh-oh. I don't want on a leash." Michelle bolted out the store, with Allie and Stephanie in  
hot pursuit.  
  
Michelle ducked into a terminal where they were starting to board the handicapped and  
children traveling alone onto a plane. "This looks like fun," she remarked as she followed a child  
of about her age. "Where are we going?"  
  
"Michelle!' Stephanie hollered near the top of her lungs. She and Allie hollered for Michelle  
to freeze, and Stephanie then grabbed her hand and angrily walked over to a bench in the corridor.   
"Michelle Elizabeth Tanner, that is enough. You are to park it right there, and sit there for  
timeout until I say to get up! Do you understand?!" Stephanie hollered, putting Michelle on the  
bench and then shaking a finger at her. Michelle nodded. "Good! Because you have been  
running wild all day. You know very well you are supposed to stick with us, and I expect you to  
listen!"  
  
Allie looked around, unsure if she wanted to pretend she didn't know this girl or not.  
Stephanie wasn't totally out of control, but she was very excited, as she could get sometimes.   
She expected a lot of herself, and could get quite upset at herself when she did wrong, like when  
she'd crashed Joey's car through the kitchen. So, she was sometimes almost as hard on others,  
too. Especially Michelle, since in Stephanie's mind their dad didn't enforce limits enough.  
  
Stephanie's lecture was causing quite a few stares to come their way. And, Allie didn't want  
to be near anyone who was being stared at. Especially with a member of airport security walking  
that way.  
  
"Is everything all right?" he asked as he came upon the scene. Stephanie - now quiet but  
staring irately at Michelle - and Allie wondered what to do.  
  
Allie tried to explain. "Well, my friend and I were supposed to watch her sister." Then,  
noticing the uniform and other things he carried - which would be even bigger and more stunning  
to a five-year-old - Allie thought of something. "She kept wandering off, and Stephanie got a  
little anxious about it. Do you think you could talk to Michelle about the dangers of wandering  
off?"  
  
"Certainly." The security officer sat next to Michelle - who had been shocked before because  
of the loud lecture, but was now really disturbed with what looked like a police officer right next  
to her.  
  
The officer reassured Michelle that she wasn't in trouble with him. He just wanted to talk to  
her about how she'd been wandering. Stephanie smiled, satisfied, as the talk progressed.   
Michelle was getting even more of a wake-up call than if Stephanie had just continued yelling.  
  
"...Now listen, you stay with your sister from now on if your dad tells you to. Because you  
can't do much to protect yourself from being taken; I need all this stuff to protect others. But  
from the sounds of it, if anyone tried to take you from your sister, not only would you both be  
able to fight them off, but I bet she'd make them feel like they had a run-in with a mother lion,"  
the officer concluded.  
  
"Yes, Sir," Michelle declared, saluting as Stephanie nodded slowly. The man left, and  
Michelle kept sitting there thinking.  
  
"Great idea, Allie," Stephanie told her. "That was just what Michelle needed, I think. You  
know, you wouldn't make a bad big sister at all."  
  
"Why not? I'm even a couple months older than you," Allie teased.  
  
"Well, I guess we might be the new team working with Michelle, instead of D.J. and I,"  
Stephanie said glumly. She slipped the child restrainer on Michelle's wrist and hers. Stephanie  
hugged her, and said, "I love you, but I expect you to be good." Michelle sighed heavily, looking  
downcast at the restrainer.  
  
Allie noticed a worried Danny Tanner walking in their direction. "Mr. Tanner, over here," she  
called.  
  
"Oh, thank goodness, you're here. Is everything all right? I heard someone say there was  
some commotion, and security had to be called." He ran up to the girls and hugged them.  
  
"I can't move from here till Stephanie says," Michelle explained.  
  
Allie explained. "She had to put her in timeout. A guard heard her lecture, and came over. I  
asked him to talk to Michelle, too. I think he scared her more than Steph did."  
  
"Phew. Good. I'm glad everything's..." Danny's look went from immense relief to incredible  
surprise. "Why is Michelle on a leash?"  
  
"It's called a child restrainer,' Dad."  
  
"I know what it's called, Steph, what's it doing on my youngest daughter?"  
  
"Well, we didn't know how much longer you'd be gone, and I guess I got carried away,"  
Stephanie said. She was a little disappointed that she'd gone to those lengths, especially since her  
dad looked unhappy.  
  
"Do you have the receipt?" Stephanie gave him the bag, and he removed the restrainer. He  
then pulled out his wallet and gave her the money for it. "Here. Aunt Becky has been wanting a  
couple for the twins, anyway." He decided not to say anything else, since Stephanie seemed to  
realize she'd gone overboard. Instead, he simply looked at Michelle while putting back his  
billfold. "You're going to be good now, so you don't need that, right?"  
  
"Yes I am. I have to stay with someone who can protect me."  
  
Danny was glad she had learned her lesson. "That's right."  
  
Stephanie told Michelle she could get up. As Michelle took Danny's hand, Stephanie checked  
her watch. She then told their dad, "At normal afternoon rates, multiplied by the toughness of the  
job, that will be...ten dollars apiece."  
  
"What?" Danny was totally baffled.  
  
"For babysitting. That is what we did, Dad. Wait till you hear how Michelle acted. And we  
managed to keep it from being a lot worse," Stephanie asserted. Allie looked agape at her - she  
couldn't imagine bluntly asking anyone for money like that.  
  
Danny started to say something, then sighed. "Okay, okay," he said, pulling out his wallet  
again. "I did ignore you, and so did Uncle Jesse and Joey, when we should have been watching  
you. I guess I did force you into this job. But, minus the time you could have saved telling me  
where you were, along with my worrying over what had happened...$2.50 apiece."  
  
Allie smiled. Stephanie must have known just what she was doing, she decided. Allie hadn't  
planned to ask to be paid, but if Danny would, she would certainly accept it.  
  
"Michelle nearly drove us crazy. Plus, D.J. still hasn't given us a proper welcome or any  
present. Five dollars," Stephanie countered.  
  
"How about three?"  
  
When Stephanie looked ready to answer back, Allie looked at her like she was nuts. "Take it,  
Steph!" she insisted. "I will if you won't." To her, it was just free money.  
  
"Okay, Allie, you're right." Stephanie and she took the money. "Plus, we got the autographs.   
Oh, Dad, guess who's here. We have to find Joey."  
  
"Guess what? I got one for Joey, and one each for the three of us," Allie said. She patted her  
pocket. "I know your family well enough."  
  
Michelle looked at the money as the other girls put it in their pockets. "What do I get?"  
  
"You get to watch me eat a great big dish of ice cream, and you don't get any after all the  
wandering you did," Stephanie insisted.  
  
"Uh, Steph...I'm here now, remember." Danny grinned. "But, when I hear about your day, I  
might decide to accept that as part of her punishment. Just because you were sort of in charge, so  
you had the right to revoke some privileges as long as you weren't too harsh...listen to me, come  
on. Everyone's supposed to meet to see if we've heard anything on you girls. Then we can go to  
the lounge."  
  
Stephanie, Allie, and Michelle were sitting at a small table and chairs and talking in Stephanie  
and Michelle's room that evening. "So it's all settled," Stephanie said. "You can be Michelle's  
other big sister, and I'll just have to settle for Aunt Becky. And you sometimes."  
  
"Will she send me to my room when I'm bad like D.J.?"  
  
" Fraid so," Allie said apologetically.  
  
"Aw, nuts."  
  
D.J. walked into the room, sat down a bag, and greeted them. "Hey, guys. Sorry we didn't  
talk much earlier, but once we met in the lounge, you were all so excited to talk to Hank  
Ketcham. Even Michelle was."  
  
"Yeah, once I learned he was Dennis the Menace's dad."  
  
Allie chuckled. "Not his dad, Michelle. Just his creator."  
  
Stephanie rose from her chair. "Yeah, and once he heard all about our day, he said he might  
try to come up with some ideas based on what happened for the movie that's coming out. That  
was so cool. As for the other stuff, it's okay, Deej. Allie's here. She promised to take over for  
you with Michelle. And as for me, well, Allie is a couple months older."  
  
"Steph, what are you talking about?"  
  
"Face it, Deej. Today was our first babysitting job. And we passed it with flying colors, just  
like we would when Michelle was younger," Stephanie said, making a sweeping gesture. "And,  
I'm the one Michelle came to when she wanted to sneak out and see Dad and Vicki that one time,  
when she couldn't think of a friend who lived on our block. We went out with Joey, and you  
weren't even involved. She came to me looking for jokes to pull on Uncle Jesse when she was  
mad at him, because she didn't want to run away since she'd have to cross the street. I guess if  
you would rather spend all your time with some boy, that's fine. Because today clinches it - I  
have earned the right to fill your shoes, and when I need a big sister, Allie will try to fill in."  
  
"Who, wait a minute," D.J. said, stunned. More softly, she said, "I never said I didn't want to  
be part of your lives."  
  
"You may not have said it. But, you didn't do anything but kiss that boy, Steve, the whole  
time when we came to see you, and you hadn't seen us for two months!" Stephanie exclaimed.  
  
"Well, Steve's going to be a very important part of my life - we had a fabulous time together  
while we were in Europe. But, you and Michelle are always going to be very important parts of  
my life, too."  
  
Stephanie felt relieved. She hadn't like the idea of D.J. not paying attention tot hem, but after  
not having her there for two months, with the time she'd spent with Allie, she'd supposed she  
could get used to it. Now, she wouldn't have to. "You really mean it?"  
  
"Does that mean Allie won't be a big sister?" Michelle asked.  
  
D.J. shook her head. "Nope, she doesn't have to be."  
  
Allie smiled warmly at the little girl. "I'll still be a friend, though, just like I am with  
Stephanie." After pausing for a moment, she said, "It was fun having a little sister for a few  
hours, though."  
  
"And besides, I was thinking of you, too," D.J. told Michelle and Stephanie as she picked up a  
bag she'd brought into the room. "It's just that after so much time with Steve, it was hard to say  
goodbye. I mean, this is the closest thing to love with a boy I've ever felt. But, nothing can take  
away the love I have for you."  
  
"Gee, thanks, Deej. That really means a lot," Stephanie said.  
  
"I know. But, you both did a great job today, from what I heard."  
  
Stephanie nodded slowly. "Yeah. If it weren't for Allie Michelle and I would have gone to  
New Zealand."  
  
D.J. sat the bag on the table, then froze. "New Zealand? Steph, you really ought to give Allie  
your babysitting money. It sounds like she had to watch both of you," she joked. After the girls  
shared a tender laugh, D.J. said, "Oh, well, I've had my share of wild stunts, too. Allie, I hope  
you don't mind me sharing what I brought for them while your here."  
  
"Oh, cool, presents," Stephanie and Michelle said. After a few minutes of looking at their  
gifts, Stephanie looked up at D.J. and said, "Of course, we've got the best gift of all - a wonderful  
big sister." 


End file.
